Complaints made to Staffordshire Police have increased 15% in a year, new figures show.
But according to Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams this is good news.
In 2021, there were 1,505 complaints made to the force. This has increased to 1,729 in 2022.
The most common complaint is police action following contact, and normally relates to the public not being given updates after reporting a crime.
The commissioner said:
“The good news is that complaints are up and I am very happy to say that because there is a whole new push to get people to complain if they are not happy with the service.
“My own view is that it is the best way for an organisation to improve itself is to listen to the people they serve and ask for where they can be better.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams
A number of changes have been made in the past year into handling complaints. A new prevention and intervention Officer has been employed within the professional standards department to help highlight trends and work with officers to highlight training opportunities.
A report submitted to the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel said:
“Policing is under more scrutiny now than ever before, and members of the public are more likely to complain about the level of service they have received, by either an officer(s) or the force in general.”
Report to the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel
